she rejected him.

Behind Elena was a thump and squelch that undoubtedly meant

Matt had finally gotten off the roof of the Jag. He jumped into the fray

immediately.

“Don’t call Elena, Elena darling!” he shouted, continuing as he

turned to Elena, “Wendy’s probably the name of his latest little

girlfriend. And—and—and do you know what he did? How he woke me

up this morning?” Matt was quivering with indignation.

“He picked you up and threw you on top of the car?” Elena

hazarded. She talked over her shoulder to Matt because there was a faint

morning breeze that tended to mold her nightgown to her body. She

didn’t want Damon behind her just now.

“No! I mean, yes! No and yes! But—when he did, he didn’t even

bother to use his hands! He just went like this”—Matt waved an

arm—“and first I got dropped into a mud hole and next thing I know I

got dropped on the Jag. It could have broken the moonroof—or me! And

now I’m all muddy,” Matt added, examining himself with disgust, as if it

had only just occurred to him.

Damon spoke up. “And why did I pick you up and put you down

again? What were you actually doing at the time when I put some

distance between us?”

Matt flushed to the roots of his fair hair. His normally tranquil blue

eyes were blazing.

“I was holding a stick,” he said defiantly.